The french knot embroidery is one of the most used knots. However, there are those who consider it to be one of the most difficult to do, but it is only a matter of practice and patience to get the hang of it.
French knots work perfectly for hair, as eyes, in greenery, for flowers, on skin, or even for filling small shapes. It has a rough texture like wool that is used to give texture to embroidery.
Read on to learn how to do a french knot!
French knot embroidery tutorial
If you are learning to embroider, it is possible that you have come across a french knot and have decided to try it. I recommend practicing this knot on a piece of fabric so as not to spoil your project, since this stitch is known to be challenging.
For this tutorial you will need:
- Embroidery hoop
- Embroidery needle
- Scissor
- Small fabric for practicing
- Six-strand embroidery floss (or the one you prefer)
Instructions:
Step 1
Place the fabric in the hoop.
Cut the thread, about 14 inches long, and thread it through the embroidery needle. Knot at the other end.
Step 2
Bring your needle up through the fabric (we’ll call this place “A”)
Step 3
Place the needle close to the fabric and wrap the thread around it twice for a larger knot or once for a small knot.
Step 4
Keep the longer end of the thread pulled with your fingers while putting the needle back in a point just close to “A” (make sure you don’t lower the needle in the same place it came up).
Gently tug the thread to eliminate any slack and snug the knot close to the fabric surface.
And that’s it, your french knot stitch should be ready!
Some tips to keep in mind in french knot embroidery are:
- Use an embroidery needle that is the correct size for the thread you want to use.
- To practice the french knot you can make them individually or in loose or dense groups as a filler for some figure, also along as a line or path.
- It is best to wrap french knots only once or twice as more times can twist the knot.
- You can adjust the size of a french knot with the thickness of the thread, if you want a thicker knot, use more strands of thread instead of more turns.
- Another way to alter the size and appearance of a french knot is by manipulating the tension: a knot with more tension will be tight and compact, but by loosening the tension, you can achieve smooth, loopy french knots.
- Use both hands to make the french knot. If you are holding the needle with your right-hand fingers, wrap the thread and hold it pulled with your left-hand fingers and vice versa.
I hope this tutorial will be useful for you to learn how to do a french knot embroidery. Keep in mind that it takes practice to fully master it, but don’t give up!
You can also try to make some leaves with this tutorial about ‘The easiest way to make a leaf embroidery‘.